Dead Things
by mjoInir
Summary: Anna did what she could for her own survival, and ended up in an ill-fated relationship with a cannibal. When a chance at doing something right and earning a little bit of redemption she so craves, she snatches at it. But with bloody hands clawing down her door and her back against the wall, how long can she fight a losing battle? [est. Gareth/OC; eventual Rick/OC]


Playlist

_Alive,_ Sia | _Skulls,_ Bastille | _Bury a Friend,_ Billy Ellish | _Human,_ Rag'n'Bone | _Run Boy Run,_ Woodkid | _In the Woods Somewhere,_ Hozier | _Two Evils,_ Bastille | _Game of Survival,_ Ruelle | _Way Down We Go,_ Kaleo | _The Run and Go,_ Twenty One Pilots | _Watch,_ Billie Ellish

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❝ s_he wasn't looking for a knight_  
_she was looking for a sword_❞  
— Atticus

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**ONE.**

Anna was in a constant battle with herself, to put it mildly. Terminus had been her sanctuary — but it was her downfall, her prison. It offered safety from the monsters outside the walls, but it did nothing to guard her from the monsters within. She had only tried to escape once, but once she was outside, Gareth had spotted her. She was genuinely surprised he had not decided to kill her then.

After that, everything she did was all in the name of survival — like it was a game, certainly things would count against her, while others would boost her up in Gareth's eyes. So she grinned and beared it; in the process of trying to gain Gareth's trust, she had also gained his affections.

None of that was planned, she was only looking out for herself and for the girl she had come to Terminus with. Sammy was only a teenager, and Anna came across her in an abandoned mini-mart, where they were both trapped from the biters clawing at the doors. Anna, using the best of her wits, got them both out safely, and they began travelling together. Months passed until they found Terminus, and Sammy might have known what she was eating, but she acted oblivious, naive. Anna commended the girl for acting so smart in the name of her own interests, which inspired Anna to do the same.

A main reason Anna and Gareth were probably together in the first place, but he did not know that.

Anna began learning what to use to her advantage, becoming a chameleon in Gareth's presence, a self-protecting camouflage. She was frighteningly good at it after the months began to pass. She began using more words instead of weapons, but she was safe.

Knives were Anna's specialty, frankly because when shit hit the fan, that was all she had access to. It was Gareth who taught her how to properly use a gun, from handguns to assault rifles. Before, it took a few tries before shooting the damned monsters in the head, but now, she was pretty good at hitting her target the first time.

The morning Rick's group came to Terminus was a morning very mundane to Anna — starting with waking up Sammy in time for her classes, and then Anna going to instruct her knife throwing class. Gareth had only given that to her to keep her busy; he almost had her teach a class on literature, something she had done in the life before this, but she told him she needed to stay sharp. He agreed.

Anna was walking towards where she had seen Gareth walk off to, noticing that Albert was not where he was supposed to be (a common thing, she noticed), and once she rounded the corner she realized she had entered the slaughterhouse.

Her heart nearly stopped. She had never seen how the food came to her plate, Hell, she did not even cook it — and it was something she never wanted to see. It was something she tried to keep buried deep in her subconscious. And now she was standing face-to-face with it.

The first eyes that were on her, were that of the four remaining victims, the three previous were already dead, blood spilling down the chute. Anna almost wanted to vomit. These were the crimes that she did not commit, but was apart of; practically as guilty as the killers themselves. The butchers, she recognized as Reggie and Ian, were next to notice her intrusion.

Gareth looked up from his clipboard, "Anna—"

Her fingers began to itch for a weapon, preferably one of her knives (either her Ka-Bar combat knife, or one of her throwing ones), but she had a 9mm Glock on her hip too, and that would work just as well. She pushed that thought away, she would never dare defy Gareth so openly, in front of his own people. She was brash, but she wasn't _stupid_.

He was unable to say anything else because an explosion prevented him from doing so, shots were being fired directly afterwards. Reggie and Ian were on the ground, and Anna had almost lost her balance, as had Gareth. Her heart hammered against her ribcage — this was an attack, but were the four men in front of her in any way responsible? If they were, she had to give them credit.

"You stay here," said Gareth, looking at Anna, and then at the butcher and his assistant.

Reggie stepped forward, "These guys aren't going anywhere—"

"Stay here until I get back!" Gareth yelled at them, disappearing out the door.

Anna's eyes flickered over to Reggie and Ian, completely oblivious, talking nonsense. Her eyes squinted in concentration, looking back over towards the four men. Rick was watching her carefully, why was she still in the room?

Face-to-face with her victims, the feeling of guilt slapped her in the face and punched her in the gut. Her chest felt tight; she did not want these people to die. People had died in the past so she could eat. And that thought alone threatened to force her breakfast out all over the concrete floor. Her survival was not worth more than theirs, in the past she had been able to convince herself that it was. But now, looking at them, she realized it was not.

Her decision was made, and she noticed how her heart lurched. This meant she was betraying Gareth, and as sick and twisted as they may have been, she loved him. She might have been fucking stupid.

"Hey, Reggie," she called his attention, her hand reaching for one of her throwing knives on that back of her belt. "I really think you're a piece of shit."

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but her next few actions were blurred by how quick she was. She grabbed her knife and in the next moment, it was between Reggie's eyes. Ian went to react, dropping his knife and going for his gun. But Anna was quick — her gun was in her hand and she only had to fire once.

She lowered her arm, placing her gun back in the holster. She grabbed her Ka-Bar knife and started over towards Rick. She assumed, from simply the way he held himself, that he had to be the leader of the group. He turned his head to stare at her, he looked _pissed_. Not with her murdering the two men, but the fact that he was in that situation.

Her icy eyes met his baby blues, she briefly put her hands up, "I'm just going to cut the binds."

She freed Rick and then quickly went down the line, and after they all removed their gags, they went to stand behind Rick. Their eyes were full of distrust, but she had helped them.

"Look," she started, knowing full well she didn't deserve their trust yet; yet she pulled out her gun and handed it over to Rick in a manner of good faith. "I really don't wanna be here; it's wrong what they're doing. I'll help you if you help me."

Rick frowned at her, playing with the gun in his hands. Daryl grabbed a few of the knives on the far table.

"You have no reason to trust me." Anna told them seriously. "But I can lead you out of here."

"Take us to our weapons and the train car we were in and you have a deal." Rick told her, the gun in his hand going to his side.

"Deal." she affirmed with a nod, shaking Rick's hand.


End file.
